have to start some where

[clean32]

ok, SWMBO is having her BD on Sunday. ok I know I have left it a bit late but im a bloke ok.

Now she has just been accepted at uni and i guess she will need some sort of camera, some thing a bit better them our little toy, which she is using non stop.

its either a camera or a cake mixer, now considering she is a bit jinxed and just about every thing she touches gets dropped for example we are on our 3rd camera in 18 months and when moving here we got 2 dinner sets of which we only have 2 plates and 3 bowls left. ok you get the picture.

Now its either a cake mixer or a camera but i figger since she dropped the cake mixer but she came still use a spoon but a camera is hard to substitute.

now the only thing i know aout SLR's is that thay are a pommy copy of a FN40 wich is not quite the same topic

so what’s a SLR that easy on the pocket a good starter and bounces.??

[PSi]

The cheapest DSLR you can find, with matching Armour (http://www.cameraarmor.com/)

[Tombie]

Any Canon EOS 500D/1000D etc..

But they dont bounce!!!

You may want to specifically point out the nice neck strap!!!!!
(As soon as I lift my camera the strap goes on my neck - If handling I wrap it around my wrist)

[nice1guv]

Yeah, SLRs don't bounce! ;)

Cheapest you will get is around $800!

Digital Camera Warehouse Australia - Discount Digital Cameras shipped Australia Wide - Home (http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/index.htm)

[5teve]

just to be different have a look for the new pentax k-x its very cheap as a kit (for the specs) and has been getting some stonking reviews... the kit lens does quite a nice job too... also you have a huge amount of old lenses available quite cheap... and its available in colours!

places like teds... and the one mentioned above should stock them.

you could always check out the pentax forum also (google for it)

Thanks

Steve

[clean32]

just to be different have a look for the new pentax k-x its very cheap as a kit (for the specs) and has been getting some stonking reviews... the kit lens does quite a nice job too... also you have a huge amount of old lenses available quite cheap... and its available in colours!

places like teds... and the one mentioned above should stock them.

you could always check out the pentax forum also (google for it)

Thanks

Steve

whats the dif between this and the K-m ??

[5teve]

faster and much much better sensor... essentially its a cut down K7 but seems to out perform the k7 in high iso etc. It also does hd video.

check out here PentaxForums.com - Pentax Photography Forum (http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/)

as there are lots of comments and pictures. It seems like a very well priced camera... i dont think many can compete..

The great thing is the backward compatibility!

Thanks

Steve

[weeds]

i brought a second hand d60 (from a friend of a friend so good history), i reckon i got value for money.....just gotta learn how to use it

[clean32]

OK im leaning towords the K x, becouse you can get it red so maybe it will dimish the " where my keys, glasses remote etc etc "

but it hard getting my head around spending 800 bucks on some thing that has a high probablity of not surviving 6 months

[dmdigital]

Pentax K-x would be the pick of the cheap end. Getting into the higher end there really isn't anything in Sony, Nikon or Canon I'd recommend as robust below the Nikon D90. This has a much better construction than the Canon EOS 50D for weather sealing but I wouldn't drop either. Once you get to the D300s or 5DMkII you get much more robust bodies.

The other thing is does she need a DSLR? Would a really good P&S do the job? In which case the Panasonic GF1, Olympus EP-1 (or 2) or Canon G11 would be good.

The biggest issue with dropping any DSLR is damaging the lens mount on the body. Obviously the internals can also be disrupted to. So a P&S may actually be better as they have less moving internals.

The post about camera armour is also worth considering as is storing everything in a Pelican case for transport.

[clean32]

thanks guys

i have flicked off an email about amour for the Pentax K-x , she has already droped 2 Canon G11's ( ouch) and thinking i would save some money the last one was a sony, silly move needed a difrent mem card, now the import filing system is up the poo etc etc.

so if the pentax will take older lenses ( i think) becouse the next thing will be the need / want for more of them

[dmdigital]

As for neck straps, get her a nice comfy neoprene one.

[clean32]

As for neck straps, get her a nice comfy neoprene one.


i was thinking of a 2" chain and a padlock

[dmdigital]

Do a search online for Camera Harness. These allow the camera to be worn and used much like a backpack but worn across the chest. You don't have to unclip the camera to use it as it is retained by clips to the harness. There are a large number of these available.

[clean32]

OK done deal

K-x $773.00 in Black. it came with a strap and batterys, theres a bit of a story as today is SWMBOs BD a purchase today was uummm advisable.

[dmdigital]

Haven't seen a K-x but everything I've read about it sounds really good. For the $'s I think it is a much better camera than the equivalent Nikon, Canon or Sony.

Now have you attached the strap to it :wasntme:

Also get her in the habit of picking it up by the strap and the camera together. Loop hand through strap, pick up camera. Grasp camera in other hand and place strap over head or shoulder.

[PSi]

I've slipped and fallen twice while having an expensive SLR in hand, and both times managed to keep camera out of harms way while rolling and taking the impact with elbows and knees. Hurt like blazes both times but happy to have saved the kit. Might feel differently if I had landed on my head.

[clean32]

lol, yes strap then batterys then read the book on how to turn it on.

SWMBO is very carefule around it at the moment but how usally that will not last long LOL

[5teve]

re the batteries... make sure you use sanyo eneloops or another 'pre charged' brand. they dont self discharge like the traditional rechargeables and although they may seem to have less capacity they actually tolerate large current discharge better than traditional batteries.. when i had a camera that used AA's i used them exclusively as i got fed up of picking the camera up after 2 weeks and the batteries being low.

Thanks

Steve

[dmdigital]

x2 on the Eneloop or Maha Powermax are very good. I use Eneloops in all the remotes, mice etc around the house and Powermax in the flash guns as they have a higher charge capacity. Eneloop AA's are 2000mA, Powermax are 2700mA

Servaas Products (http://servaas.com.au/) is a good retailer to buy from.

[clean32]

now thats usfule info, i use rechargables everywhere, just some thing i do i goes a long with solor panels and running the house off the county and fluro bulbs etc, just need to sus out where to get these batterys

[dmdigital]

Servaas is a good place to deal with and is very helpful. You can get the Eneloops from Dick Smith and possibly JB HiFi. It also pays to have a smart charger like this one: MH-C9000 (http://servaas.com.au/maha-powerex-mhc9000-wizardone-battery-charger-analyzer-p-52.html)

[dullbird]

I bought eneloops from ebay....